Hearts Without Chains
by Milady Luxanna
Summary: A broken heart and a relationship that goes wrong. Can the heart be mended or is it just destined to stay broken? (One shot, main Cait x Jayce)


Just a small fic I decided to write down after all the speculation about Vi's sister. It will remain an one shot unless I decide to write prequel or a sequel for it. The song used was Hearts Without Chains by Ellie Goulding. If you don't know her, you should totally check her out!

Apologizing in advance for the grammar, as usual. Riot Games owns the characters and blah blah blah.

* * *

"How could you hide something like that from me?! I… Thought we were partners. No, not just partners. Friends. And friends don't hide things like this. I trusted you Cait, how could you do this!" Vi glared daggers, her eyes red and stinging with tears she would not dare to set free. At least not in front of _her. _Caitlyn's emotionless face felt like a sharp knife as the sheriff just stood there, arms neatly folded above her chest, eyes glued to the floor. Seconds turned to minutes; still she did not dare to speak. Vi finally had enough and turned on her heel, making her way to the door. As she opened it, Cait's voice made her halt. "I… I didn't had a choice…", she spoke quietly in between what sounded like quiet sobs. "There's always a choice. Goodbye Caitlyn." Before the sheriff could reach for her, Vi was gone. For a minute she just stand there eyeing the door, waiting; no, hoping, the pink haired woman would come back and forgive her. But deep inside, she knew that would never happen. Not after this.

In a mess of sobs, Caitlyn reached for the phone at her desk and dialed Jayce's number. It rang two times before his voice came to be at the other side of the line. "Hello?" "Jayce… She's gone, she left us… and it's all my fault!" The sheriff broke down into loud sobs. "Wait what? Caitlyn please calm down… what exactly happen and who's gone…" he tried to sound as calm as possible but he was getting really worried. It wasn't like Cait to just cry; no she was tougher than that. "Vi…She found out… about her sister… she…", she paused, chocking on a sob "Hates me for hiding it and… she left… she left for good…" Jayce remained silent for a few minutes, processing all the information. He was aware Vi had a sister and he was also aware of who had made that happen. "Look… Just try to calm down; I'll be there as soon as possible." Jayce hung up the phone and hastily put his coat on, in hopes he would somehow bump into Vi on his way to the police station.

* * *

_Piltover, 20 years ago_

"Honey is that really necessary? I mean, everyone already knows you're a brilliant scientist. You really don't need to be doing…" The man pointed to a few tanks that contained what seemed to be like human clones "…this. It's just… atrocious. Please dear, for our daughter… Just stop this madness."

A woman, in what seemed to be her 30s, gave the man a glare from the top of her glasses. "This is all for the great of science. Don't you understand? Something like this can put us on top of every city in Valoran. I can already see all the praise we would get… and I would finally be recognized as more than a mere inventor." The man just shook his head in disbelief. "What you're doing here is a monstrosity. You must stop. I really don't want Caitlyn to found out all you've been doing down here. So for everyone's sakes, just come to your senses and stop this… before is too late."

The woman just sighed loudly and looked at the records she had been holding the entire time. "I know… You're right. I haven't spent any time with our daughter ever since… this started. I'll stop, you have my promise. I just have to find a way to dispose of subjects VI and VII. They are the only ones giving any life signs." She glanced from the corner of her eye at the tanks. "They're… just babies. You can't just… dispose them like they are nothing." "I know", she replied hastily, "I'll leave VI at the orphanage door tonight; VII will be taken to Zaun. I don't want them to be… in the same place. That would raise questions." He just nodded.

* * *

As soon as Jayce reached the police station, both he and Caitlyn agreed to split and look for Vi at her usual hang out spots. They searched every corner of the city for hours; yet no sign of the enforcer. Jayce made a stop near the riverside, the place where he and Vi used to spend hours talking mostly about nothing in particular. At first she would bring a couple of beers and do a number of hilarious bad impressions of Caitlyn; he would laugh like there was no tomorrow, occasionally letting out a _'ow' _when she would pat him on the back… hard. Although with time, she started to talk more and more about her past, letting him in, at a slow pace, inside her own world. He never allowed himself to feel sorry for what she had been through; she would beat him if he did. Instead, Jayce felt a deep admiration that soon turned into something more. And to his surprise and awe, she didn't stop him when he made a move to kiss her.

Their relationship was always difficult, he had to admit. Dating a girl that loves to punch through walls can be as tough as it can be; he wasn't allowed to be a romantic type of man who would buy some flowers on his way home or take his beloved out to dinner in a fancy place. She hated those things… and she wasn't really allowed into the fanciest restaurant in the city, after the table smashing fiasco during the police annual dinner. He would now admit openly he had his hands tied during the time they were together since he was never allowed to be himself. Vi was trying to shape him her way and after two months it just… felt apart. Being set free was secretly what Jayce wanted; but when the enforcer dumped him in such harsh manner, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken. He would often lock himself at home and stay in the dark for hours, feeling sorry for all the things he had lost. His only light would be Caitlyn and her insistent visits. She would visit him more than two times a day, bringing him some homemade food. She would keep him company while he ate, always in silence; she knew he didn't want to talk about it and she would never press the subject. Only later he end up sharing how he really felt and she was there, listening closely to every word. Caitlyn never questioned his actions or feelings; the only words coming from her mouth were _"Any woman would be lucky to have someone like you Jayce. Don't you ever dare to change."_

The sheriff had stopped dead on her tracks when she saw the defender by the riverside, the place where he and Vi had spend a good fair share of their time. It was special, he said, as that was the spot where they came in terms with their feelings, where they shared their first kiss. Seeing him there, eyes focused into the nothingness made her feel… sick. Caitlyn hated to admit she was jealous of their friendship, the way they would look at eachother when she was present… When Vi told her they were dating, it had been a hard pill to swallow. She had to smile and pretend she was happy, happy for both of them. In reality she was one second away from breaking down; she recall getting home and crying herself to sleep that night. But they were happy, she needed to respect that. And so she did.

When they broke up, she felt a sickening relief. She still remembers all the times she went to visit him, all their silences and the exact words exchanged during those precious hours. It was like a drug to her, one that would lit up her hopes that maybe, just maybe, one day Jayce would see her as more than a friend. But that never happened. Yet there she was, still hoping like a love struck fool. And seeing him, at that exact spot was enough to make her realize he still loved Vi. A lone tear escaped her eye as she hang her head down in solemn defeat. She had lost more than her partner and friend that day, she was sure of it. And it hurt more than anything.

But as soon as she turned on her heel to leave, he seemed to have break free from his thoughts, at least enough to notice her. He called her name and slowly approached her form, a steady hand placed upon her shoulder to make her face him. By now Caitlyn was in tears; Jayce said nothing as he gently reached and wiped away the salty drops from her eyes with the tip of his thumbs, his touch lingering softly on her cheeks. Her eyes were closed as she silently enjoyed the small gesture, the thought of Vi completely leaving her mind for the time being. Only when his hand gently held her chin up she dared to open her eyes and look straight into his, the proximity of their faces making her heart flutter. Just when she had begun to wonder what was on his mind, a swirl of emotions crossed Jayce's eyes as he leaned in, their lips touching.

The kiss was soft and ghostly like, almost like he was afraid she would reject him. But when she made no move to stop him and actually kissed him back, his fears were long forgotten. He seriously had no idea what had gotten into him; sure Caitlyn was a beautiful woman and he admired her in every way possible. But she was Vi's best friend, his ex-girlfriend best friend none the less. Now the enforcer was missing and there he stood, on their special place, kissing another woman. It made him feel sick to his stomach. Caitlyn seemed to feel the same as she abruptly broke the kiss, pushing him away from her like she had been burned by fire.

"Why would you do such thing Jayce!" she yelled, "And here, from all the places. I'm not her! I'm not your beloved Vi!" "I never thought you were, not even for a second." "Liar. You're nothing but a joke Jayce.", she spat, venom in every word "Your beloved is gone and yet here you stand, kissing her partner. You will not use me as a replacement!" Jayce was slowly starting to lose his temper as more and more harsh words came out of her mouth. "Caitlyn stop! Just stop! Do you realize how unfair you're being right now? I didn't kiss you because I thought you were her. Not even for a moment that crossed my mind. You are you, the woman I came to admire over the years. The woman I respect more than everyone else. The woman who was there for me when I needed the most." He paused for a moment, his truthful eyes looking back into her rage filled brown ones. Her left hand was bailed into a fist and her entire frame was shaking; she remained silent, her mind and heart having the most intense battle over the control of her emotions. He steady took an experimental step towards her and spoke again, his voice just above a whisper. "I fooled myself when I thought I could replace you with Vi. I… I've loved you all this years, silently hoping you would look at me as more than just your friend. Yet, you never did and… I was too much of a coward to just confess to you. I feared a rejection."

Surprise took hold of her features as she eyed him, the rage slowly fading away and being replaced with a small amount of regret and doubt. Was he telling the truth, she wondered. And even if he was… why say something now? His timing could not be worse. "Even if… even if what you're saying is the truth… why confess such feelings now? Vi just walked away from us, Jayce. By now she probably already left Piltover and yet here we stand, talking about our feelings instead of going after her. This is not right."

He sighed softly and took another step in her direction, their bodies only inches away. "She needs time more than anything else right now. She is blaming you for something your mother did years and years ago. She will come to her senses, eventually, and come around again. We both just need to give her space." He spoke quietly. "That does not explain why are you-" "She told me you had feelings for me after we broke up." The sheriff stared dumbstruck at the enforcer, an eyebrow raised in surprise as he continued "After your first visits, she knocked at my door. We sat down for a good half hour in silence until she finally had the heart to tell me. 'She's a keeper Jayce', she said, 'you be sure to make her happy. I want you to look over her when I'm not around, cupcake sure needs someone like that or she will get herself in trouble'." He chuckled softly at the last line as he remembered the widest grin Vi had given him. "How did she even… That fool." Caitlyn said, another roll of tears stinging her eyes.

This time when Jayce's lips found hers yet again, all her doubts and fears were long gone; she praised herself for being able to tell when someone was lying and he sure wasn't. The kiss reassured her everything would be okay in time and when his arms held her tight against his frame, she found her place. Her hands dared to move from her sides, slowly making their way up from his chest to his neck, her fingers burring themselves in his smooth hair. For a moment time was still as they stood there, their hearts without chains.

* * *

Her signature hat was discarded solemnly to a corner as they entered her house. She blindly guided him through the small living room into her bedroom, their lips never parting. His skilled hands held her by the waist with an iron grip, like he was suddenly afraid she would disappear in a cloud of smoke. How many times had he imagine the moment he would held her tight, kiss her sweet lips and whisper the most beautiful things in her ear. And now there they stood, stripped on any doubts or fears. It felt right, like it was meant to be all along.

"_And have you lost the same things I have lost  
Do you know the panic I know  
And would I see the terror in your face  
Do you know that fever oh I know  
I wish time was still,  
We'd stay right here  
With time to keep in our hearts without chains"_

"Is this a dream…?" He whispered softly, to which she replied "I was wondering the same myself. And if this is really one… I don't want to wake up."

"_And if time was still  
We'd have no fear, or scars to heal  
In our hearts without chains"_

And somewhere, on her way back to the League, Vi was actually smiling.

**The end.**


End file.
